The present invention relates, in general, to equipment for feeding bulk materials in metered amounts and, in particular, to the control of dosing of such equipment and to a method for the operation of such equipment.
In the conveying of bulk materials using an extraction helix, the volumetric dosing principle or the more precise gravimetric principle can be used. In the latter, the mass m(t) of an extraction equipment, a supply container and the bulk material present in it are weighed together, whereby the difference of mass per unit of time, namely the mass flow {dot over (m)}(t) dependent on the time t, is continuously detected electronically. The actual value is compared to a desired target value and regulated by a known dosing controller to the desired value.
In practice, the mass flow {dot over (m)}(t), dependent on the time t, is, however, not constant, but fluctuates periodically at a frequency which equals the speed of revolution of the extraction helix or is a whole harmonic of it. The dosing controller is generally not arranged to even out these periodic deviations from the desired constant value.
In addition, the difficulty exists that different extraction helices, and also different bulk materials, or the same bulk materials with slightly different or changing flow parameters, lead to completely other fluctuations of the mass flow {dot over (m)}(t).
The objective which is addressed by the present invention, is to provide a device for dosing control of helical dosing equipment as well as a method for the operation of such devices, which are immediately and always ready, and with which the above mentioned periodic fluctuations arising in the mass flow {dot over (m)}(t) of such devices can be essentially eliminated, independent of the characteristics of the extraction helix used and independent of the characteristics of different bulk materials.
In accordance with the present invention, bulk material, stored in a container, is received by a feeder, driven by a motor, and delivered, in metered amounts, to utilization equipment by the feeder. The actual mass flow rate of the bulk material delivered by the feeder to the utilization equipment is measured and the difference between the actual flow rate of the bulk material delivered to the utilization equipment and a desired flow rate of the bulk material delivered to the utilization equipment is determined. Periodic deviations of the actual mass flow rate of the bulk material delivered to the utilization equipment from the desired flow rate of the bulk material delivered to the utilization equipment are quantitatively analyzed and a modulation signal, representative of the quantitative analysis, is generated. The modulation signal is processed into a modulated position signal that controls the motor that drives the feeder to modulate the speed of the motor with the modulated position signal.